Once upon a time when I was living in Mount Shasta, California, I would occasionally take trips to the southern part of the state to get some much needed beach time in. I was visiting some of my good friends in San Clemente and after a long day of sitting in the sun we all craved something light and nourishing to eat. My friend Nico pitched the idea of going to grab food at Mother’s Market– a regional Southern California grocery store chain founded in the late 1970’s by a group of yogis.
With my hair still wet from the pacific ocean, I meandered through the aisles of shelves stocked with carob bites and ancient grain crackers. Those sounded good, but I wanted something different, something fresher and with flavors from the sea. I walked past the sushi section– still not what I was looking for. And then I saw it! Freshly made seaweed salad. I recognized that it would be just what I needed after a day at the beach. I must admit that when I regrouped with my friends outside of the store, they laughed at my choice. You went to Mother’s Market and all you got was Seaweed Salad!? Yes, and I had no regrets. And after the first bite, I knew it would be a staple of my diet for years to come.
Although this was almost a decade ago, I still remember the taste– and the jealous gazes from my friends when they took a bite. It was unlike any seaweed salad I had tried before. It had a rich and tangy olive oil and vinegar dressing, sea vegetables I had never heard of, and some avocado and white onion to round it out. It occurred to me later on, sitting in northern California, hours away from the nearest Mother’s Market, that I had neglected to ask for the recipe or save the deli container which had the ingredients labeled. I sighed, and pushed the memory of that seaweed salad into the recesses of my mind.
Years later, it came back. I was in a grocery store in Missoula, Montana, hundreds of miles from the coast, when I spotted a package labeled “Sea Vegetable.” I went home and thought about that seaweed salad I had all those years back. After a few minutes of messing around with ingredients and a trip down memory lane, I had it. Packed with minerals and unique compounds you don’t get from land vegetables, seaweed is nutrient dense and rich in antioxidants. Good for gut health and digestion, thyroid health, heart health and more, seaweed is an environmentally friendly superfood that packs a punch with versatile flavor and an abundance of health benefits.
I recommend eating it with simple grains like steamed rice or quinoa, or with a nice piece of grilled salmon or tuna. While not exactly the same as the one I had almost a decade ago, here’s my Mother’s Market-inspired version of seaweed salad, which is vegan, gluten free, dairy free and delicious!
Seaweed Salad Recipe
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
Salad:
— 25g (~1oz) dried wakame seaweed
— 1 avocado (small dice)
— 1 carrot (70g, julienne cut or grated)
— 3 scallions (thinly sliced) *can sub 35g or ¼ cup minced white onion
Dressing:
— 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
— 1/8 cup rice vinegar
— 1/8 cup sesame oil
— 1/4 cup olive oil
— 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
Recipe:
— Hydrate seaweed in warm water (10-15 minutes) and drain, being sure to squeeze out excess moisture.
— Combine all dressing ingredients and mix well.
— Add carrots, green onion, and avocado to seaweed and toss in dressing. Top with sesame seeds and adjust salad to taste.
Notes:
Dried nori will NOT work for this recipe. In Montana, dried wakame is really the best option. However, if you are on the coast of California, Oregon or Washington, you might be able to find some different options locally.